When Bridgestone decided about two years ago to aggressively position Bridgestone as a premium brand, it repositioned its Precept division - which had previously been the launchpad for the company's premium golf balls - to focus on the middle and lower price points, the golf balls aimed more at mid-handicappers, recreational golfers and distance seekers.
The latest golf balls from TaylorMade are aimed at the premium market, but they aren't being launched under the Maxfli brand, which TaylorMade acquired several years ago. Instead, they are being launched under TaylorMade's TP designation, which stands for "Tour Preferred" and is the branding given to all of TaylorMade's premium equipment for highly skilled players.
This probably signals a shift in marketing the Maxfli brand, which likely now becomes to TaylorMade as the Precent brand is to Bridgestone. And now TaylorMade becomes a player in the golf ball market under its main brand, extending the TaylorMade brand into every area of equipment, and matching Titleist and Callaway in that regard.
The TaylorMade TP Red and TP Black are the new balls, both of which are already in play on the world's professional golf tours.
Both are three-piece balls that employ an NdV4 core, multi-blend ionomer mantle and ultra-thin thermoset urethane cover. TaylorMade promises both balls offer accelerated speed, with high launch and low spin off the driver plus high spin around greens.
The main difference is that the TP Red is geared to produce a low launch off irons, while the TP Black is geared to produce a high launch off fairway woods, hybrids and irons. Players seeking more distance in the irons or iron replacements would probably first take a look at the TP Black; golfers seeking more control in their irons would probably first consider the TP Red.
The TP Red's flight pattern is a slightly lower trajectory, of the type preferred on Tour, and the Red also has a slightly softer sound and feel.
TaylorMade also claims that the TP Red and Black, while aimed at faster-swinging, lower-handicappers, will work better for slower-swinging recreational golfers than some other premium golfer balls because their ball speed is not a result of their core designs alone.
The TaylorMade TP Red and TaylorMade TP Black golf balls each carry an MSRP of $55 per dozen. They will be available at retail beginning May 19.
